Fear, dubiousness and scorn are emotions usually reserved for side projects. They are rarely taken seriously (see Josh Homme in Eagles of Death Metal) and are usually no more than a vanity project; a tool for a frustrated ego to try and work outside the constraints of their current project.
So when Okkervil River members Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff started their Shearwater project in 2001, people were naturally dubious.
Luckily, anything and everything that this band produces makes OR look like a poor Bright Eyes cover band (which they most certainly are not). Shearwater emote a kind of beauty which wraps both the heart and the brain in silk, and a sustained listen to any of their releases will always end in the listener feeling moved, elated, and emotionally drained.
I first heard of the band around the release of 20008’s “Rook”, and was instantly captivated by Meiburg’s yearning vocal on tracks like “Leviathan, Bound”. In fact, for me, all “The Golden Archipelago” had to achieve was matching that benchmark and it would be a resounding success of an album.
Fortunately, it has surpassed it. Not for such a long time have I been so captivated by the instrumentation and structure of songs. Your selective hearing will be completely out of whack, as each channel on this collection of madrigals to island life works in such perfect synchronicity; it makes you wonder why anyone else is bothering to make music.
From start to finish, The Golden Archipelago draws the listener in with its subtle complexities. The stomping beat of “Black Eyes”, the noise experimentations of “Corridors, the ominous sound-scaping in “Uniforms”. All embellished with Meinburg’s operatic range, reminiscent of avant-rock genius Scott Walker.
The Golden Archipelago is not a selection of a band’s best songs; it is a piece as itself. More like a symphony with 11 distinct movements, each one as thrilling, heartbreaking and epic as the last. It deserves both your attention and love. Shearwater deserve your money.
The Golden Archipelago is out now on all major formats.
WHAT TO DO NOW?